New Direction is Best

I'm now 31 and I've played almost all of Sierra's games since I was a kid (yes even Larry... we were cool back then... and how else do you think I learned how to play Blackjack!)

I loved every moment of these games and they really challenged the mind. They hold a special place in my heart.

However, we should get with the times.

King's Quest is a controversial series due to the loyal fanbase; I know it will be hard to please everyone. But I don't think going for a 2D classic game will cut it this time.

I think going for a 3D (please don't kill me) Mask of Eternity style'd game is the way to go, and adding more classic elements from the older games into it.

Think about it; a POLISHED free roam 3D game with classic item hunt and use mechanics with MINOR or REDUCED action sequences with a little more mature themes/humor would be pretty good if pulled off.

I don't want to feel nostalgic; if I want to I'll just replay the games. I want a new direction.

As far as puzzles, they should be challenging but fair. No dead-ends, but death sequences are ok (to provide a sense of urgency).

The best games this new generation for me were Demon's Souls & Dark Souls, simply because the mechanics of minimal plot, addictive combat, and challenge created a great formula. Every mistake you made was yours and you learned from it.

Part of its satire on the silly or obscure puzzle solutions in the KQ series. in that the solution that is probably the most likely, is often the lesser of two choices! ...or its a solution that most people aren't going to think of at all.

If I had a penny for every article that makes fun of the 'cheese' in the machine solution!

Actually the hintbooks written by Roberta and others sometimes poked fun at the solutions too, LOL.

I think for me, it belittles the crisis at hand. Like how in KG5 Graham acts as if his family being captured happens everyday and his dialog andVA , not to mention his actions don't match the situation.

What you are trying to say in KQ5, how the dialogue in the game, doesn't quite match up with the situation described.

Graham is mostly upbeat, and helpful, and happy go lucky, even though the narration claims he should be in extremely sad over the situation. There are a couple of lines in KQ5 when looking at Graham or at a bird in the game where the game describes Graham being in extreme remorse. But you never see that in the game! Infact, he even seems to crack a few jokes at Cedric's expense in a few places.Yes, but none of those creatures seem to hold it against Graham -- they all show up for his wedding at the end of KQ II!Gaming after 40;

Other than the fairy godmother, the giant, the dragon, the leprechaun, the dwarf, enchanter/sorcerer, most of the people at the wedding are from KQ2 (or in both)! You can only kill the giant and dragon in KQ1, out of that bunch.

Graham didn't do a good job of killing Dracula, ;). Man, that giant cross must be painful to him ;).

@Sleeq said: I think for me, it belittles the crisis at hand. Like how in KG5 Graham acts as if his family being captured happens everyday and his dialog and VA , not to mention his actions don't match the situation.

I don't know if it makes sense or if I worded it correctly...

You got your point across. I always think that's one of the hardest things to deal with in balancing storytelling and gameplay in adventure games -- for dramatic purposes, you want to keep the pressure on, but if you make the solutions too obvious for the sake of keeping the story moving, the gameplay suffers. Puzzles that are TOO esoteric make everything grind to a halt, draining emotion from the events, but if they're too easy then it doesn't seem like much of a game.

Linear dramatic storytelling can usually take the simple way out -- "Suddenly, Buck remembers he has the Maggdar Crystal stashed in his Hooblefritz! With great precision, he thrusts it into the prison chamber's lock! The Moon Beast staggers back in surprise as Buck invades the Sanctum of Evil to rescue Queen Bea!"

But when there's a player involved, it necessarily has to play as, "Buck wanders around the room and looks at various things, while Queen Bea's screams echo through the chamber, though no more urgently than they did two minutes ago when the crisis began. Buck returns to the entryway briefly and scans the floor and walls for tiny sparkling objects. Finding nothing tangible or suggestive of a solution to the problem, he opens his Hooblefritz and ponders the wide array of items he has collected during his travels. 'Perhaps this one will do something unexpected and save the day', he thinks, as he fondles the Froomnana and presses it up against the prison bars. Then he tries doing the same with the broom, the Maggdar Crystal and the latex appliance instead. Nope, no luck there. He thinks, 'What if I insert the Froomnana into the socket on the wall?' And is then disappointed in the result. But he resolves to try it again, using the Maggdar Crystal, which come to think of it, resembles the shape of the keyhole. If he only he had thought of this sooner! Fortunately, the Moon Beast has not actually made any progress towards his nefarious nefariousnesses."

@BagginsKQ said: Other than the fairy godmother, the giant, the dragon, the leprechaun, the dwarf, enchanter/sorcerer, most of the people at the wedding are from KQ2 (or in both)! You can only kill the giant and dragon in KQ1, out of that bunch.

Graham didn't do a good job of killing Dracula, ;). Man, that giant cross must be painful to him ;).

Hee-hee... I should have gone back and looked at my own notes! I wrote:

When Graham and Valanice marry, everyone's at the wedding. The guest list even includes several characters whom Graham has previously murdered in cold blood, including Dracula and the Giant and Dragon from KQ1. I guess everybody loves a royal wedding!

And I COMPLETELY failed to make a joke about the giant cross! Hats off to you! :)

I mentioned a few games that made the transition to 3D with major success (GTA, Final Fantasy, MGS etc) so I'm sure having most classic elements minus the moon logic/unwinnable situations and a bit more serious tone would not be such a bad thing no?